The Nanuq
by Trapped In Narnia
Summary: What if the Nanuq hadn't listened to Faro as he screamed for Sapphire's safety? Can Faro save her? Can he save himself?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Ingo belongs to Helen Dunmore. I borrow her awesomeness. The Crossing of Ingo, starting page 179, with Sapphire's encounter with the Nanuq. Oh yeah! And in my story Sapphire's father died in the flood in the Tide Knot. Yeah that's probably something to make you all think 'whaaaaaaaa?' yeah. I know. Kinda strange and AU, but... you see I kinda forgot that her dad was still alive while they made the crossing. So I'm not gonna rewrite everything. We'll just say that's when he died. Sorry guys. Just play along please.**

"What is it, Faro?"

"Nanuq," he relies.

It is a polar bear, swimming on the surface, its yellowish coat distinct against the rich blue-black water. It's doing breast-stroke so powerfully that in a few minutes it will catch up with us. I stare at it, hypnotized. It head dips below the water with its next stroke, and it sees us down below.

"Dive!" says Faro. "Dive, Sapphire!" But a shelf of ice has glided beneath us. It juts out underwater from a passing berg. We can't dive out of the bear's reach. Not in time. The bear plunges, diving for us. There's nowhere to go. Faro throws his arm around me as we face the bear. Its muzzle is heading straight for us. I see its eyes, its mouth.

"Know that we are Mer, Nanuq." Says Faro. He speaks full Mer, which every creature in Ingo understands. "If you smell human blood, know that you cannot spill a drop of it without spilling Mer blood too. Our people have never harmed your people."

The vast shaggy belly of the polar bear glides overhead so close I could touch it. With unnerving speed and grace, the bear turns in a tight circle until it faces us again, front paws open wide, although the bear's claws remained sheathed. They close around me, squishing me but only uncomfortably, holding me in a tight cage of bear flesh. The next second, Nanuq and I are shooting up to the surface.

We come up in an explosion of foam into a whiteness that almost blinds me. The bear tosses me onto an iceberg, climbing over me. I can smell its breath. The fur is a dirty, sodden cream. In a moment it will unsheathe its claws and kill me. Perhaps that's better than dealing with the agony in my chest of being torn through the surface so suddenly. I hear Faro's voice over my gasping, "NO! Don't hurt her! She is one of us!"

Nanuq will kill me, and Faro will see my blood in the water and rush forward to attack the bear, and then Faro will be killed too. Desperately, I reach out for him in my thoughts trying to prevent him.

_Go north, Faro! Quickly! At least one of us will escape._

But Faro is rising to the surface. His voice cracks as he cries out, "Nanuq! Hear me! Hear that she is of Mer blood!"

I move my head a little in the direction of Faro's voice. I can just see his face. His lips are drawn back, his teeth bared. He is getting ready to fight the bear. He mustn't, she'll kill us both! I'm about to reach into Faro's thoughts to tell him to run, when I see the bear's claws extend, one massive paw raised above my head.

This is the end. I'm glad I've come with Faro. As long as he is okay, I will be okay. But right before the bear's claws sink into my neck and heart, something jerks the bear sideways, throwing off her swing. It still cuts deep into my side, wrist and thigh, but at least I wasn't dead.

Whatever set off the bear had her growling, snarling as she turned back to me with dark hungry eyes. Again the bear jerks backward, and with an angry cry, she slides back into the water to deal with Faro, who had been trying to protect me.

All I can think about though is the searing pain in my side. I try to take my mind off everything by gazing up at the stars. They're so beautiful and bright… Millions of diamonds scattered on indigo velvet…

Looking over, I catch a glimpse of what I shouldn't have seen. The water diluted with blood. Faro. Faro! "FARO!" I meant to yell, but it came out as a whisper. I tried again, barely a cry. I drag myself over to the water's edge, leaving a long smear of red behind me. Oh please let Faro be okay…

It seemed like hours but I'm sure it was at most a few minutes before the water began to ripple. I nearly jump in the air when a figure bursts through the surface. I relax a bit, seeing Faro's familiar dark eyes as they adjusted to the Air. He has a long scratch along his chest, but it doesn't look too bad.

"Faro!"

His head jerks towards me, and soon he was swimming faster than I'd ever seen him over to my iceberg. He lays a hand on my cheek, scanning my body for injuries. His face pales when he sees the red smeared behind me, blotting my shirt and soaking into the ice beneath me. " Little sister, you're injured…"

"Faro, go north. You can do this. Where is the Nanuq?" I ask, nervously glancing around.

His face darkens, and for a moment, I am scared. "Don't worry, it can't hurt you anymore."

Normally I would have pressed the topic, but right at that moment, my body adjusts to the Air. I let out a cry as the ice beneath me burns into my flesh, and my body shakes violently, trying to regain any heat. "Sapphy, what's wrong?"

"It's so-o-ooo-oo-ooo co-oo-ld," I whisper. My body stills, and suddenly I am very tired. I might just quickly take a nap before Conor and Elvira get here… "No, Sapphire! Stay awake!" Without notice, Faro grabs my good arm and drags me into the water. At first I'm sure the cold will kill me before my injuries could, then Ingo envelops me in warmth, and my teeth begin to slow their chattering.

But Ingo steals away my blood faster, and my world gets dizzy FAST. It's all I can do to keep my eyes on Faro's face simply because it's moving around so much. I can concentrate enough to recognize the growing cloud of red blooming from around my side. Were it not blood, it might have been kind of fascinating. A gentle hand lifts my chin, tearing my eyes away from the swirls of red. My gaze locks on dark eyes filled with so much emotion, though I can't decide if they're angry or sad. Faro is cursing in Mer under his breath. "I'm so sorry, little sister. I'm not my sister; I am not healer! Be strong, Sapphire, stay with me!"

I feel his fingers lace through my long hair. I wasn't sure it was possible to cry underwater. Tears would seem kind of redundant in salt water, but here I saw through blurry, swirling vision Faro making tearless gasps, which I guess were the Mer equivalent of crying. "Faro-" I start. I was going to tell him that it was okay, to swim North, and to thank him for all he'd done for me, but I was cut off, and very surprised by, his lips on mine.

As if I wasn't already dizzy! The blood loss coupled with the sheer shock and joy of the moment blurred the last of my clear vision together into black. I smile as I close my eyes.

Oh I'm glad I am in Ingo…


	2. Chapter 2

**Faro POV**

No, no, please, no! Sapphire! Sapphire can't die! How would I explain this to Conor? How would he explain it to their mother? Sapphire belonged here in Ingo, she couldn't just… I can hardly think about it. But there she is in my arms, delicate swirls of her blood hanging suspended in the water, her hair gently swirling around her face. Her sea blue eyes lingered on my face, but wandered off to the red around her. Her eyes widened a bit. She must be so scared. I gently tilted her chin back up so she'd look at me. So I could see her eyes. Damn it, where was Elvira when I needed her? "I'm so sorry, little sister," I began, wishing I had Elvira's healing skills. "I'm not my sister; I am not a healer! Be strong, Sapphire, stay with me!"

She has always been so strong. My fingers wind into her thick hair. Little sister… perhaps that wasn't appropriate anymore. She is no longer the little girl she was when we first met. Even now, her eyes are soft as she gazes up at me. She begins to lift a bleeding hand to my face. I know she is going to say her goodbyes, but she can't! She just can't! "Faro-"

Without thinking, I pull her closer to me and kiss her. She shivers lightly in my arms, and I pull away, worried her body is freezing again. But what I see takes my breath away. She smiles lightly, beautifully, and lets her eyes drift shut.

"No! Don't do this, Sapphy, don't say your goodbyes! You're not dying yet! You're staying here with me, do you hear me? Sapphy, please wake up! Open your eyes! Sapphire!" I shake her lightly, but she is limp in my arms. No! I can't lose her!

_ELVIRA! _I call in my mind, _ ELVIRA! Where are you? PLEASE HEAR ME ELVIRA! _I reach out as far as I can with my mind, screaming for her. Finally, I can barely make out her presence. I can feel an emotion but not a full thought. She is worried, as she should be. Ingo is angry tonight, but it is nothing compared to the fury I feel at the Nanuq, who is probably still floating down to the bottom of the ocean.

I scream again for Elvira, this time projecting it directly at her. She is still too far away to hear my distinct thoughts, but I know she feels my pain! I can feel her pick up speed and now I can pick out a direction too. Even with Sapphire in my arms, I'm swimming as fast as my tail can take me, each stroke bringing me closer to my sister, and Sapphire's chances at survival.

_Faro! What's happened? What's wrong? _Her mind is filled with possibilities, and I can feel now that she is dragging Conor with her, clinging onto his hand as she powers through the water. I fill my head with the image of Sapphire, her blood spilling out of her, her body weak in my arms. I think of the Nanuq, and it stealing her away from me.

My sister shutters, holding back sobs as she feels some of my pain. She is close now. I gaze down at my Sapphire. "You're going to be okay. I promise."

Conor is going crazy now, seeing Elvira's face and not knowing what is happening. She does not tell him. She doesn't know how. We're going so fast that when we see each other, it's all either of us can do to stop in time before we collide. I still bump into her, which jostles Sapphy. I glance down worriedly, but she only hangs still in my arms. Her face is pale now, almost as pile as the ice. I take her hand, trying to ignore the wisp of blood, that rises from her wrist.

Conor, who is just now swimming up, finally sees his sister. "SAPPHIRE!" he cries, nearly shoving Elvira away to get to her. "Oh my God, oh my God! What happened to her?" His gaze finally tears from her and turns slowly to glare at me. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?"

What did _I_ do to her? It's a good thing I'm holding my Sapphire, because Ingo knows if I wasn't….! "Stop it, both of you! Conor, Sapphire is hurt because a Nanuq attacked them. Faro saved her! Now if I don't do something, she's going to DIE. Conor, she's your sister, it's up to you."

His rage dies down a bit. "What's up to me?"

"Whether or not you want me to do something. Con, your blood is more human than Mer. Sapphire's blood is split equally, down to the last drop. If I use a Mer remedy to replace her blood, it may have… well it may change her blood balance. If she were treated by an Air doctor, it would be the same way."

His face looks pained, as he begins to realize this. I can't help it as fury swallows me. "What are you thinking about? There is no decision to be made! If she doesn't get help she'll DIE! We're wasting time, Elvira, just HEAL HER!"

My sister gently takes Sapphire in her arms, glancing over at Conor one last time. Reluctantly, he nods. I am hesitant to let her go, but I know it is her only chance. As Elvira lays her down on an ice shelf, beginning her work, Conor looks over at me, his arms folded. "Why did you take her here? You know she'll bleed out faster underwater!"

I keep my voice calm and removed, but my eyes and heart burn. "Would you prefer that I let her freeze to death then?" The painful image of her crying on the ice, whimpering as her lips and fingers turned first purple then blue, how she flinched away from the ice that surrounded her... I can't take it.

Conor says nothing. He knows I'm right, but he's too angry to admit anything . He's just as hurt as I am about Sapphy's injuries. Normally I wouldn't say that, with the guilt of not being able to protect her eating me alive, but I knew Conor couldn't take the thought of his sister's blood mixing with Mer blood. If I wasn't so worried about her surviving at all, I might be excited about the possibility of Sapphy staying here in Ingo with me. And I'm sure that's another reason Connor was taking his anger out on me.

I don't feel all that bothered by it though. I took all my anger out on the Nanuq, as I know Conor wishes he could have done. "What is a Nanuq anyways?" He grumbles under his breath.

"I believe you humans call them polar bears," I say, leaning against an iceberg, nervously watching Elvira work. Conor's head was in their direction too. Elvira was bending over her with a sharp shard of ice and some kelp she'd had to dive to get, but… What was she…?

"Well don't watch them!" Conor's eyes are now on mine, angry again. "Elvira has to cut some of Sapphy's clothes off to get to the wounds!"

"Oh," I say turning away. I wonder if I should be embarrassed. Is that something really bad, for humans to see each other without all their clothes? I look down at my own bare chest and wonder if I should feel odd around them. But it must be a Human thing, and I am Mer, so I don't feel so bad.

"If I had only been there…" Conor drops his elbows onto his knees; his hands are claws running through his hair. I know what he means. _If only I had been there, I could have fought it off. If only I had been there I could have showed it never to touch my sister. If only I had been there, I could have saved her. If only it were me and not her. _I've been thinking this last thought myself. But the Nanuq only wanted her human blood. If Conor had been there it would have gone after him too, but with Elvira by my side we could have taken it before they got hurt. Which reminds me… "Where _were_ you and my sister, Conor?"

He fidgets a little, running his hands through his hair again. "We got separated. We tried to find you both…. We tried so hard. Eventually Elvira said you guys had probably already swum north, and we should keep going. I didn't want to, but I knew she was with you and would be okay… Listen, I'm sorry about what I said earlier… I know this isn't your fault."

I nod, looking away. I can't meet his gaze right now because it IS partially my fault. No, I wasn't the one who hurt her, but I couldn't protect her. I couldn't save her from this pain. I had let her down, and I'd let Conor down… What would I do without Sapphire? I stroke the dublek, thinking of the hair braided together so tightly nothing could separate it. Thinking how they were one and couldn't be told apart. Thinking this how I want to be with her, tied together so tightly we could never be separated. Not by the Nanuq, or by Conor, or by the Air. Suddenly I am very hopeful about Elvira's healing, that it might heal more than just her wounds.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sapphire POV**

I'm floating. At first, this is all I know. I feel my weightlessness, how every inch of me is light as a feather. My hair swirls about my face, something to concentrate on in the bright light. There is light around me everywhere, so bright I can barely see. Then, I start to see the slightest shadow in the light, growing darker. It forms the shape of one of the Mer, then his face becomes more clear. My father.

"Dad!" I cry as he is gliding towards me. He smiles, reaching out for me, wrapping his strong arms around my shoulders and stomach. We laugh together, his hand messing up my hair like he used to do when I was little. Slowly, he lets me go, holding my elbows.

"Sapphire, you've changed so much! You're all grown up!" I see a tear escape his eye, but he's quick to brush it away. He touches my long hair gently. "How I've missed you, my little gem. I'm so sorry all of this happened. I never meant for things to be like this, but don't you see? Things will be okay! We're still a family. I will always be here for you. Always. Sapphy, I love you. Never forget that, okay? I hope someday, you will find it in you to forgive me."

I gaze back at him in confusion. "Dad, what do you mean? Why are you saying this stuff? I'm right here! I want to stay with you, Daddy!" For a second, I am the little girl he remembers, hugging his leg to keep him from going to work and leaving me.

He places a hand on my shoulder before pulling me into a tight hug. "I know, baby. But there's so much left for you still. One day I'll see you again, okay? I promise. I'll wait for you. I'm always here for you, I'm always on your side." He pulls back, smoothing my hair.

"And Sapphy?" He gives a knowing smirk, "That boy, Faro? He's a fine young man." I flush and he winks, "Always watchin' out for ya! Seriously, gem, give him a chance."

"Dad we're just friends! Like brother and sister!"

He holds up his hands. "Hey, maybe it started out that way. I'm just saying," he touched my cheek, "give him a chance. You don't have to be so clammed up and closed. Follow your heart, little gem."

He lets me go and begins backing away. "Daddy don't leave me!" I cry, clinging to him, all the tears I'd been keeping in since he left spilling down my cheeks. He held me in one last, long, tight embrace, kissing my forehead. "Never, Sapphy. I'll never leave you. I love you. Tell your brother that I love him too, and as long as you two have each other, you have family. We're a family. I'm here whenever you need me. All you have to do is ask."

He gazes in my eyes. I memorize him, so I'd never forget him. "Be safe, Sapphire. I'll be next to you when you tie the knot. I'll be there to see my grandkids. I'll see you soon, but not too soon, alright?" I nod, sobbing.

"Shhh," he murmurs. "Take care of your brother, and tell him I said I'm proud of him. He's going to be a great dad one day. Tell him it's okay to feel lost sometimes, but to make sure his decisions are his own. I love you both. I'm so proud of both of you. Goodbye, Sapphire."

And suddenly I am clutching thin air, the warmth from his touch still lingering on my skin. "Bye, Daddy. I love you too. I forgive you."

I gasp as the light vanishes almost painfully. I'm back in the black, and I panic. Where is my father? Where is Conor? Where's Faro? Suddenly my mind fills with the Nanuq and Faro, fighting her away. Faro! Where is he? I can't feel anything in this black! It's like I'm numb. I desperately fight to find light, to thrash, anything, but nothing happens. Eventually, I give up, relaxing into the black. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. What's happening to me?

Suddenly I'm very tired. I don't know how much time passes; it's impossible to tell in the black. I can hear voices distantly now, like they're a thousand miles away. Groggily, I stir, instantly surprised I can do so. My eyes float open and color fills my world. Aqua hues of every shade of blue. Ingo.

Home.

I remember the Nanuq and bolt upright. "Faro," I whimper, looking around for him. A hand cups my cheek while another wraps into my hair. His face appears in front of me. "Shhh," he calms me, "I'm here, you're safe."

He pulls me into his chest and I breathe deeply, taking in his salty scent, the sound of his heartbeat, the warmth of his skin. I'm alive.

Right then pain jackknifes through my side, and I can't keep my scream inside. I seeps through my thigh and wrist, burning me. I scream and thrash and cry, Faro whispering soothing words into my hair. I wish it helped, but it didn't! Faro's dark eyes glare across at someone I can't see. "What did you do to her, Elvira?"

Elvira? She caused this torture? Surely not Elvira! The fire burned like knives being shoved into my body! "It has to get worse before it can get better. This is the worst part, then it will be gone, I promise," I hear her say in her melodic voice.

"No, please, it can't get worse, PLEASE!" Faro takes my hand and I squeeze it with all that I can, the pain in my thigh burning inside my legs as well.

Faro pleads with Elvira, trying to find a way to take my pain away, "Sister, there must be a way she doesn't have to endure this!"

Another voice floated to my ears, "'Vira, please…"

"C-Conor?" I peer out from behind my curtain of hair, looking for him. I find him beside my legs, watching me with glistening red puffy eyes. I suck in a jagged breath as another knife cuts open my wounds, but I need to share the message.

"C-Con, D-Dad s-s-says he loves-s y-you." Faro's eyes dart from me to my brother in shock, then back to me, brushing the hair out of my eyes.

"Don't talk like that, Sapphy, you're staying right here with me, okay?" I'm shaking all over, the pain searing me alive, but I nod. I'm not done telling Conor though, and as I suck in another breath to finish the message, Faro gently presses his lips on mine, stealing it away.

And for a moment, everything stops. The fires cool, the pain drains away, my body stills. Warmth spreads through me, and I am safe. He pulls away, and a thrill runs through me, one last shiver running up my spine. Faro just kissed me. Oh. My. GOD.

I flush for a moment, then realize. The pain is still gone. It's gone! I smile widely, "Elvira, it's gone! You did it, oh my God! I feel so alive!" I look down to my side, noticing Elvira has cut away the lower fabric of my tank top to get to it, but I don't really mind. It's just like wearing a bikini. There's a long thick hot pink scar, but it's not even bleeding anymore. My wrist as well! Elvira has woven me a skirt from kelp it looks like, so I can't see my thigh, but I'd imagine it looked about the same. I'm a little bit embarrassed though, feeling that I'm not wearing underwear. I'd have to be sure to swim behind everybody else.

I laugh, throwing my arms first around Elvira, then Faro, lingering there. I glance over at Conor with light in my eyes. "Dad says he loves you and he's proud of you. That as long as we have each other we're family, and that you're going to be a great dad one day. Oh yeah, and that it's okay to feel lost, but you need to make your decisions on your own, what you think is right. Whatever that means," I shrug.

My brother half-smiles, reaches out to touch my shoulder, then looks to Elvira. "Should we keep going north now?" She smiles and nods lightly. The two of them take the lead, Faro and I behind them hand and hand. I'm swimming so much faster, so much easier, and I don't know why. It's like a second nature now. Easier than breathing or blinking.

"Hey, Saph!" Conor calls me. I tear my eyes away from Faro's (I hadn't known I was staring) to look at him.

"What's up?"

"How come you're swimming like that?"

I'm confused. "Like what?"

"With your legs together?" I look back and sure enough, my legs are pressed tightly together, though it seems effortless. I shrug. "I dunno, Con, I guess it's just comfortable."

"Well don't." Suddenly he's watching me so intently, I feel like I'll swim another way just to make him happy. But I can't. It feels like my legs are glued together. I stop swimming and tug hard, almost crying. Looking closer, there's a thin web of skin growing continually from one leg to the other. The same web connects all my toes together. My hand runs along the smooth surface. It looks like the rest of my skin, but it's smooth as a seal's back. "Faro!" I call, though he's already by my side. I look into his dark eyes.

"What's happening to me?"


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thank you sooooooooooo much to Curly Attack for the review and PotterheadWhovian who added this story to favorites and alerts! Thank you so much both of you, you don't know how much it means to me, especially having such a small community of Ingo writers and readers on here. I love you all and would appreciate any reviews you guys can give me! Sorry this chapter is so short! Hopefully the next one will be longer! Love you all!**

There's caution, almost sadness in Faro's eyes as he speaks, "Well you lost a lot of blood, Sapphire. When Elvira used a Mer cure, it may have thrown off your blood balance some…"

Conor's face holds anguish as he dips out of sight. I turn back to Faro, feeling the tearless sobs building in me. "So… I'll never see Mom again? Or Sadie? Or Rainbow? Or Granny Carne? And what about Conor? We were supposed to look out for each other!"

I can't fight the sobs anymore, and they escape my lips raggedly. Faro pulls me in against him, burying his face in my hair. "I'm sorry, Sapphire," he murmurs soothingly, rubbing circles in my back. "It'll be okay. You can get through this. _We _can get through this. Together."

The words hold the weight of a promise, and I feel a little bit of the weight lifted away from my chest, just enough so I can barely breathe now. Still, the images of my beautiful golden lab fill my head, her bright brown loving eyes, so eager to defend me. Sweet, loyal Sadie. My mother, with her light blue eyes, screaming and sobbing my name. Every happy memory with her floats to my mind, like an air bubble, refusing to be held down. I can't leave her like Dad did.

"Faro, I just can't! I can't leave her. She's already lost Dad, how can I hurt her?"

Suddenly Conor appears in front of us, one empty hand extended to me. "Give me your legs, Sapphy," he commands me. The expression on his face is murderous. I've never seen him this angry, and I'm scared. "W-Why?"

Nervous, I coil up against Faro, but Conor's hand shoots out and catches my foot, pulling them both towards him. Faro holds onto me, steadying me. "Why?" I ask again, very scared now. Conor's other hand comes forward with a jagged shard of ice, and before I can process what he's doing my brother raises the ice, ready to plunge it into me. In a half-heartbeat, Faro's gone from behind me, swatting his hand away, the ice scratching at my web. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Faro roars, pinning my brother against an ice shelf. He knocks the shard away from Conor, and I see the tip of it stained red, sinking down into the ocean.

Elvira and I both sit, looking at the small wound. It's long but not deep at all. It would heal over soon. It stings, but it's nothing compared to what I've had to endure recently. At least now we know that the mesh has woven blood veins into it as well, and that it's sensitive. Elvira touches the cut lightly with gentle fingertips and I suck in a breath, forcing it out in a hiss. I whimper lightly as she pulls her hand away.

Faro growls, hearing me, slamming my brother again against the ice. "HOW COULD YOU! Your own SISTER, damn it! Are you TRYING TO KILL HER?"

Conor's eyes are livid now, but he's not strong enough to shake Faro off of him. "What's wrong with me? I'll tell you what! That's my sister you're messing with, _mermaid!_ She's human, just like our mother! Just like me! She belongs at safe, dry, and warm at home with us! Her family! Not underwater with the likes of YOU, off playing mermaid princess!"

Faro moves so fast I don't even see it happen, but suddenly my brother is flying away from the ice. Faro watches him, fury sparking his eyes on fire. "How dare you! First, it's not Sapphy's choice that she's Mer now! It was this or die, Conor, you should know, you chose this fate for her! Second, being Mer is an honor, an honor you treat like a disgrace! Tell me why you wanted to make this journey if not to find out who you are? Tell me why my people deemed you worthy, because I have no clue! Now you know who you are! You're one hundred percent, filthy, conniving HUMAN!"

Conor is quick to recover and swim back, his nose trickling blood. I can't take this anymore! Without thinking, I shoot up from the ice to swim between them before they break out in a fight. "STOP! Stop it, both of you! Don't you see what you're doing? You're fighting over something totally pointless right now when we need each other more than ever! Conor, I'm slowly becoming Mer and no amount of ice can change that. If you try to cut me apart, you'll kill me. Faro, this isn't something you can just throw in his face! I love Ingo, but I have a home in the Air too that I have to give up completely now, knowing I'll hurt them! This isn't easy for anyone okay, and you two fighting about it is just making things worse! So if you don't mind, SHUT UP."

With a long, level, death glare the boys faced off, then swam in opposite directions. Neither of them will leave, I know this much at least. They both want to protect me from the other. I sigh, sending a pleading, exasperated look to Elvira.

I huff, "Boys."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: YAY I have 2 reviews now I'm so happy! Thanks again to YukixVampire, ColorMyStarsYellow13, and PotterheadWhovian who have this on Story Alert. Thanks so much, and I'm sorry, I know short chapters are kind of sucky rewards for such awesomeness, but... I blame Conor.**

A while past and Elvira has treated my wound. I sit with her awkwardly, my gaze shifting constantly between where Faro and Conor had swum, and Elvira's face. I know this is where a deep heart-to-heart conversation should fit between Elvira and me, but no. She plays with her hair absentmindedly, humming as she does.

I feel that Faro needs me. It's not so much a thought so much as an ache in his heart I can feel even from here. The problem is though, I feel it in Conor too, and going to one and not the other would just start all sorts of crap I really don't want to get into. So I'm torn and feeling rather helpless when Elvira breaks the awkward silence. "Oh go talk to your brother already," she sighs.

I sit up on my elbows, looking at her. "What?"

"You heard me." She twirls a long strand of hair around one finger. I guess she's waiting for me to do something…or maybe say something, but I'm confused. She sighs, looking intensely at me. "Your brother is hurt and you're becoming Mer." Thanks Captain Obvious. "You'll have lots of time to talk to Faro. Right now you should be with Conor while you can."

I hate the way she tacks those three words on the end of her sentence like I was dying or something, like I'd never see him again. I would! I'd come to our cove every day! He's still my brother, whether we're in separate worlds or not!... Wow that sounded really bad… "He's still my brother, Elvira. I _will_ go talk to him, the way I will _always_ be able to!"

I slide off the rock and power away from her, streaming in the direction I had seen Conor leave. Now if I could only find him… As I'm floating, I can't help but marvel at the grace of Ingo, the freedom. In the Air, you're chained to ground by gravity. In Ingo, I can swim in any direction freely. Could you imagine having that in the Air? Floating above your school or maybe walking to your office on the 132nd floor without an elevator or stairs? I look around, just realizing how far I had swum. Had I passed him?

"Conor!" I call, searching for him among the rocks. "Con! I need to talk to-" I scream as something grabs my foot and pulls me down. No, not again! Oh. I've landed on a pillow of sand next to my brother, who has his knees pulled up to his chest. "Con?" I ask worriedly.

He picks up a small rock near him and chucks it as far as he can, which is surprisingly not far at all underwater. "You can't leave us, Saph."

I duck my head, assuming his same position. "I know… I have no choice now, Con."

He pulls in a heavy, jagged breath and I wonder if he's been crying. He turns away from me, saying "I'm so sorry, sis."

"Hey," I put my arms around him and he slowly relaxes into them. "Con, you know maybe things aren't as bad as they seem." I smile for him.

He looks at me with an empty gaze, his voice devoid of emotion, "What?"

I fold my arms on my lap, trying my best to smile for him, trying to look on the bright side. "You know we can still talk at the cove, and you won't have to worry about me here in Ingo. I mean, it can actually be really cool; you know it can. A-and I won't be in danger or lonely, I've got Faro and Elvira looking after me-"

"How could you say that Saph? Things ARE as bad as they seem. Do you think that a few chats in the cove will make everything okay? What's Mom supposed to think? What am I supposed to tell Rainbow? 'Oh hey, yeah, Sapphire's not here, she's a mermaid right now, can I take a message?'"

"Mer," I corrected.

"What?"

"You called me a mermaid, but I'm not your maid, I'm just Mer," I try to lighten the mood some. It didn't work.

"Are you serious, Sapphire? Really? You're turning into one of THEM! Literally! Don't you care at all? Mom's going to be so depressed! She's going to think you died, and what am I supposed to say? 'Sorry Mom, Sapphire's alive, but don't worry, she's happy off with her disgusting new boyfriend and her new TAIL, playing around on dolphins and brushing her hair on a rock'?"

I shrink back, but fury boils in my blood. I've never seen Conor like this. I never believed he _could_ be like this. I still can't! "Don't say a word against Faro! Or Ingo! You know as well as I do that this place isn't bad, Conor! And don't… don't talk like that okay? You make it sound like I'm dead…" my voice cracks on that last word. The anger drains out of me. "I'm still me, Con… I'm still your sister."

"No," he turns away. "My sister was killed by a polar bear."


	6. Chapter 6: Blameless

**AN: My longest chapter yet and written in record time! Heck yes for the weekend! To my anonymous reviewer (love you!) Faro Fan, I hope this chapter pleases you ;) ALSO! Thanks to , ColorMyStarsYellow13, Curly Attack and Faro Fan for reviewing and YukixVampire, PotterheadWhovian, and ColorMyStarsYellow13 for the Story Alerts! You guys literally keep me writing! ^_^ I'M JUST SO HAPPY! So see, your reward was a long chappy (Long overdue). So without further adue (spelled wrong?), I give you a bit of Safaro. (Sappharo?) **

I'm blindly powering away from him, hopefully in the direction of Faro. I can't see, my eyes are squeezed shut. I'm choking back sobs, trying my hardest to be strong. It isn't working out too well.

My brother, my brother, how can I do this to him? My mother, how can I leave her? I can just see her, looking out at the sea, tears pouring out of her eyes in rivers as she screams for me, the way she did for Dad. I can see the circles under her eyes; she hasn't slept. She won't until her body gives out on her, and when it does she'll be back in her nightmares. When she opens her eyes she'll still be in them. I can see Rainbow attending my funeral where they'll bury an empty coffin for me. She'll cry into Conor's shoulder and he won't say a word. I know he won't. I wonder if he'll come to the cove to scream at me, or if he'll wrap himself in his duvet silently. The thought breaks whatever calm I had, and a sob escapes my lips. I flinch at the sound, trying to suck it back in, but the floodgates have broken and so have I.

I gasp as I run head-on into something and open my blurry eyes. The something is warm and soft and wraps strong arms around me. Faro. His dark eyes watched me with an expression I've never seen before. I try desperately to choke back my sobs, embarrassed that he's seeing me like this. "I'm s-s-sorry!"

I cling to him, and he presses me gently against his chest. I can feel the warmth of his skin and his steady heartbeat beneath me. I close my eyes, trying to breathe normally but… Mom's face at Dad's service fills my mind and… I just can't!

I feel that we're moving but don't open my eyes. I just wrap my arms around him tighter until we stop somewhere. His fingers run through my hair soothingly, but Mom's face doesn't leave me. I can still hear her voice. _SAPPHIRE! SAPPHY, SAPPHY, MY BABY! NO! _"M-m-mom, I'm s-s-sorry!" I scream to her, but she doesn't hear me. She never will.

"It's alright, Sapphire, let it out…" his voice comforts me, and his hand strokes my cheek gently. But even Faro can't keep away Sadie's sad barks at the cove, Conor's back as he turns away in disgust. "I'm not leaving you, Con! I'm s-still me! It's s-still me, I'm still y-your s-sister!" He won't even look at me. I'm a stranger to him. "Please, Con! PLEASE!"

A soft kiss on my forehead makes me open my eyes. Dark eyes tortured with pain hover inches above me, and the proximity makes me jump a little, the tears getting caught in my throat. "Shhhh…" he calms me, pushing a strand of hair out of my eyes and tucking it behind my ear. "You're safe, Sapphire, I'm here… I'm here…"

I tremble, his hands running down my shoulder to rub soothing circles into my back. Looking into his eyes, I feel a whisper of an emotion, the tiniest spark of flame. Warmth, happiness. "Don't leave me, Faro," I choke out.

"Never. I'm here, my Sapphire."

I look away, remembering every word Conor spoke. Each one burns into my heart. _…disgusting new boyfriend…do you even care…do you think that will make everything okay…_ "They're losing me, and there's nothing I can do," I breathe, my voice sounding hallow. "My mother… my poor mother… She's already lost Dad…"

My breathing begins to spike again and Faro crushes me against him. "Sapphire," I feel his voice vibrate through his chest. "Feel my breaths?" I do. They're deep and steady. "Breathe, love. Breathe with me."

And we do. In. Out. In. Out. Steady. Strong. His gentle hand tilts my chin up to look at him. "I can't understand, Sapphire. I never will because I will never have to go through what you are now. But if it helps at all, you ARE still you. You're one hundred percent, perfectly you. And that's enough for me." He smiles before pressing his lips to mine.

My eyes fly open. We have kissed before, but this feels entirely different. He is gentle but passionate, yet I feel something has changed in him. I note momentarily that we have moved to the soft sandy ground of an underwater cave, but this is kind of a side thought. After all, I'm kind of _kissing Faro._

All my thoughts kind of slide away from me as Faro deepens the kiss. I can't help the blush that rises to my cheeks. This is only my second kiss that I was fully awake for, and it's a bit more than a kiss… should I be embarrassed? His hands trail along my spine to around my waist, pulling me closer to him. His powerful tail brushes against my legs. "Sapphire," he breathes against my neck. "I could have lost you."

A tremble runs through me, and whether it's from his words or from his breath on my skin, I can't tell. I remember Conor's face and mutter "Maybe things would have been easier if you had."

For a moment, he looks at me, eyebrows furrowed in confusion, like he's trying to figure out what I meant, but half a second later it dawns on him and anger and fear light his eyes. "What? Sapphire, no! No, no, I couldn't live without you!" Once again he's on me, his kiss passionate, possessive. "Don't you dare say that," he hisses between kisses. "Ingo and Air are nothing without you."

I look up at him from the sand. "I guess…"

He chuckles, gently kissing my neck and knotting his fingers into my hair. "You guess nothing, love. You simply know."

"My family… I'm abandoning them…" I'm hurting them…

Faro pulls away, sadness pulling away his smile. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect you when you needed me, and if Elvira hadn't been there…" He shudders. "I let you down, and you almost died because I couldn't keep you alive. Not only that, but now you're forced to abandon your family all because I couldn't save you. Your pain is my fault, lovely, and I'm so-"

"Faro, stop," I cut him off. "You saved my life. I would be dead if it weren't for you. If you hadn't been there, that Nanuq would have eaten me alive and you know it. Conor wouldn't have anyone to blame because I'd be dead."

"You seem to be dead to him anyways," Faro mutters.

His words take my breath away. It hurts because it's true, or seems to be… "He'll come around…" I say, not even sounding sure to myself.

"Anyways, he blames me, not you, as he should," Faro points out.

This confuses me though. Why would he blame Faro? Faro was the one who saved me, along with Elvira! Besides, he was certainly accusing enough. "What? Why would he blame you? You saved me!"

"Yes, in a way, but I let this happen," he brushes my dark scars lightly, and I flinch. They're still very sensitive, but they don't hurt. He frowns slightly and continues, "and he thinks that by me being so close with you, I'm stealing you away from him."

"What? That's crazy." But part of me realizes it isn't. Right here, slightly pressed into the warm sand tangled with Faro, I feel safe and I don't particularly want to go back into the Air right now. I sigh heavily, suddenly feeling exhausted, like all my emotions are crashing in on me at once. I relax completely against Faro, my body molding to his. "He shouldn't blame you Faro, you helped me. You are still helping me. You're blameless," I murmur, my eyes drifting shut.

"Sapphire?" He takes me into his strong arms, tucking my head under his chin.

"I'm so tired," I breathe, trembling lightly with silent tears. I'm so tired of it. Of everything. Tired of feeling guilty and helpless and lonely. Tired of reality. I want dreams, sweet dreams, to take me away from here, back to where I belong.

Then softly, I hear the most beautiful sound the world has ever heard. Faro is singing softly to me in Mer, his voice better than any singer I've ever heard in my life. It's what you'd expect to hear when you die. Faro's sweet lullaby surrounds me, enveloping me in the soft velvet of his voice.

_Gently now, dry your tears_, _Ingo awaits you_

_Easy now, calm your fears, I'll help you take whatever dare face you_

_And I will meet you where the water tastes sweet_

_It will be warm and beautiful where we meet_

_Down in Sweetwater Cove_

Before I drift away, Faro enters my mind long enough to let his voice leave one last lingering message. _I love you._

**I finished this at 5 in the morning so if there's a bunch of typos that's why.**


	7. Chapter 7: Atka?

**AN: Hey guys! I'm not dead! Sorry I just got out of school so the updates will be much faster! I just need some inspiration. So three cheers for a crappy update most of which took a while to type from the book yaaaay! Anyways, sorry guys. They'll get better. Especially thanks to ColorMyStarsYellow13 who's been so supportive. I love you all!**

I am back home, floating through familiar water, just beneath the surface. The water is warm and soft as the swells fold around my skin; their troughs and peaks like gentle masseuses. I sigh quietly in pleasure, and realize instantly that the water really does taste sweet. Is this the beautiful Sweetwater Cove? I tilt my head to see Faro. He is gliding through the water next to me. He too, looks happy and peaceful, like he belongs here. His dark eyes train on me and he smiles, whispering one word.

Atka.

The word is mysterious, powerful, even ominous. I don't even know where it came from. It's just a Mer word that seems to have been bubbling impatiently on my lips since we entered the North. It feels familiar on my lips as I speak it, "Atka," soft as a sigh. I'm not quite sure where I am anymore. Faro is gone and all I know is that I'm floating in the chilly North Ingo water. The moon is brilliant tonight, and the stars flash as if they're about to leave their place and come down to earth. Again, the word spills out my lips, almost forcibly. "The Atka," I say. "What is the Atka?"

Immediately, an ice floe in the distance gives a shiver, as if the wind were blowing it. It's not very big, only about the size of a table, and a metre or so high. Slowly the shiver changes to movement, as if an invisible hand were pushing the ice floe from behind. It turns towards me, and as it turns I see that there's someone sitting on the scooped-out floe. It's a girl about my age. Her hair is silver and her skin as pale as the moon.

I blink hard, squeezing my eyes together until they sting. When I open them she'll be gone. She's just a trick of the moonlight. I open my eyes and the girl is still there. Her face is clear and definite, but her body looks as if it's wrapped in a robe of fog. Suddenly I remember what Elvira said about the Mer of the North, with their pale bodies and silvery hair. But some instinct deep in me makes me sure that whatever else this creature is, she isn't Mer. She doesn't look as if she belongs in Ingo. She looks as if she's grown out of the ice.

I feel sure I've seen her face before. She isn't beautiful like Elvira. Her face is small and fierce. Her hair looks as if it's been charged by electricity into a wild silver halo.

"Who are you?" I whisper to myself, not thinking that she'll hear me across the stretch of water that separates us. But she does. She laughs, and each note of her laughter tingles as sharply as an icicle.

"Do you not recognize me?"

"Have I seen you before?"

"Oh yes, I think so. But humans don't remember, do they? All their memories from before they are born are hidden from them."

Is this creature really saying that I knew her before I was born? She must be mad. She's got to be. I'd better humor her.

"I thought you looked a bit familiar," I say lamely. Her hair glitters in the frosty moonlight as she nods her head.

"Come closer," she invites me.

"I can't!" I don't mean to shout, but my voice ricochets against the ice. I'm afraid that there may be more hidden listeners. Ice spirits, tucked away on the floes and in the chambers of the icebergs.

"Can't?" Her voice is mocking but not hostile.

"No, I-" I choke on my own words, not knowing what to say. If that fog around her body would stop swirling for a second, I'd be able to see her clearly- but it won't stop. It swirls as if the ice itself is breathing in and out.

"Who are you?" I repeat.

She laughs. "I'm your Atka, of course," she answers.

The power of the word thrills through me, and so does fear. I am not even sure that she's real and solid now. If I touch her, and she's a spirit, then my hand will plunge into icy breath. I nerve myself to ask the question, even though I dread the answer.

"Can you tell me what an Atka is?"

"Your Atka protects you."

Doubt rolls over me. It could be a trick. If she's supposed to be protecting me, she hasn't had much success so far. Nanuq nearly killed me, Conor hates me and feels awful, and I'm being forced into abandoning my mum. Right now only my tingling scars and the plait of the deublek that links me to Faro feel real.

"Where did you come from?" I ask, trying to keep fear and suspicion out of my voice.

"Oh, I've been here for a long time. I was waiting for you," says the Atka.

"You couldn't have been. I didn't even know I was coming here. No one did."

"Do you even know what an Atka is?" she demands.

"Obviously not." I'd be tempted to plunge across to her and give her a slap if it weren't for the risk of plunging my hand into icy living fog. Maybe there are more kinds of people living in Ingo than I've ever realized- not only the Mer and a few humans who have enough Mer blood to survive-

"Neither Mer nor human," says the girl. "Just your Atka."

Suddenly I am very, very afraid. She is invading my thoughts. I don't mind when Faro does it: I know Faro.

Alatuk alatuk Atka, Atka amaluk alatuk, croons the girl softly, like a mother bending over a cradle to soothe a restless baby.

"What does it mean? Who are you?"

The girl's face is coming into sharper focus. As I watch, lips, eyes, and mouth become distinct in the moonlight. Her coloring is as different from mine as a negative is from a printed photo, but it is like looking into a mirror. The Atka has taken my face. Nut she didn't look like that a minute ago. I'm sure of it. She's mirroring me.

"Don't be afraid," says the Atka. "It's just a song. It means, "Little one, listen to your Atka," that's all. Only your Atka can tell you when it is time to leave the world. Come a little closer so that you can see me properly. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"No," I say loudly. "No. No, I'm not coming anywhere near you."

The Atka raises her eyebrows. "Haven't I told you there is nothing to be afraid of? I am not trying to make you cross. No, you must stay in your world and fight its battles."

HA! I can't fight the sarcastic laugh that bubbles to my lips. "Nothing to be afraid of? Stay in my world? Now I know you're a liar. If you were trying to protect me, then why did I almost DIE?"

The Atka is shaking her head. "Little one, you're seeing things all wrong. I didn't protect you there because it is my job. It was your time to move between worlds. You had learned all you could from the human world."

I gawk at her in disbelief. I had not learned all the things I could from the Air! If I couldn't get an A in geography, I knew I hadn't learned everything. My Atka was trying to kill me, not protect me!

"Silly girl," comments the Atka. "You have moved between worlds. Once you were a child of Air, now you have been reborn as a child of Ingo. You should be happy, you have found your destiny!"

"No." I back away slowly, "My destiny was chosen for me."

Atka sighs. "When will you understand? I will do what is right for you when the time comes. Trust your Atka, little one. I will help you cross and you will be happy. Come closer to me. See me clearly so you will know me when it is time."

"No, you'll kill me!" I cry, her throne of ice moving closer. The floe glides across the water towards me, faster and faster. I am frozen. If the Atka touches me, I'll dissolve into terror, like ice into water. And yet at the same time I want to touch her. I want to know what she really is: a dream or a spirit or a living creature. I hang in the water, staring into the Atka's sickle-moon pupils, tempted, mesmerized. The Atka doesn't look like me anymore. Her hair is a glittering crown and her fingers are shards of ice. She stretches out one hand, ready to touch me, and I realize I'm trembling.

"Sapphire…" she sighs, her hand inches from me. "SAPPHIRE!" That's not her voice. Who- Suddenly I'm pushed behind a living mass, pushing me away from the Atka. Faro?

I jolted awake.


	8. Chapter 8: Dreams

**Faro POV**

I'm drifting through warm open waters; aqua as far as the eye can see. There is a music that flows over each rolling wave…crescendo…decrescendo….a never-ending symphony. The tides gently pull at my fins; my heartbeat is aligned with Ingo's. Yes, all around me my brothers and sisters feel it in their souls. It flows through our veins, a calling we live to answer. The reefs are dazzling, teeming with majesty unknown to humans. The light above the skin hears our music and dances with us, rays of light turning scales into glittering diamonds and sand into shimmering dust. How could Air ever compare?

And yet, gliding beside me floats the most beautiful part of Ingo. Graceful in each swirl of her shimmering tail and each swirl of her hair, she is fluid even in stillness. Her bright eyes dance; she hears the symphony too. She feels the calling pulsing inside her heart. The light slides off her skin, knowing her glow is enough to illuminate the Deep. And the light is correct, she herself could light up the sea with a single flash of her smile. She takes my hand with a feather-light touch that sends a shiver through my core. "_Srynth te, Faro_!" she beckons me, come on Faro!

Her long fingers slip from my grasp, and suddenly I can only see her indigo tale powering away from me. I smirk and stretch. If it's a race she wants, it's a race she'll get! Without hesitation, I dive, slicing through the velvet water as only the Mer can. "Sapphire! You cannot beat me!" but the words are stolen from my mouth, because our speed has now greatly surpassed either of our abilities. Somehow without realizing it we must have been sucked into a great current!

No, not just any current. No, I know this current. Saldowr has told me of it many times when we discussed the Crossing. We call it _terlok zihyna_; Mighty One. It is possible to ride this current, but very dangerous. The water moves so fast that if we dove in head first, we would surely die. This path alone has claimed many lives, and is possibly one of the most treacherous currents in the sea.

And that makes it the most fun!

It's exhilarating, I've never swum so fast before in my life! It's like…it's like…okay, sorry there isn't a comparison for this in the Air! Not only that…I can't explain it, but something just feels… right here; safe, warm, comforted. I hadn't realized I'd felt lost until this very moment, when it all vanishes. This current is right, and for now that's all that matters.

What was that? I could have sworn a flash of red just- there it is again! Why is the water…bleeding? The current writhes in pain, twisting dangerously. It is alive, it is wounded and it is angry. Beside me, my Sapphire begins to scream.

I jolt awake, gasping the chilly sea. Where am I? What happened? Where's-oh. Sapphire lies close against me, her hair delicately sweeping across her shoulders like a rippling sheet of satin. She's still asleep, curled lightly against me.

But something's wrong. Her hands are claws, clenching and unclenching. Her face is crumpled in either frustration or fear. I gently catch a stray strand of her hair and tuck it behind her ear. I meant to give her some space right now, as I knew this wasn't easy for her, but curiosity got the best of me. I attempted to see into her mind only to find it blocked. Blocked in sleep? Unusual, but maybe it's because of her human blood. Still, I had been able to before…

"Atka…"

A whisper of my own voice floated unspoken through the sea. Could it be Ingo, speaking to me in my own voice? Perhaps it was a fellow brother or sister of the waters? No, we hadn't seen another creature since the Nanuq. Maybe it was Conor's voice and I only thought it was my own? My conscience?

"Atka…Protect you…"

The voice is no longer my own, and now I am sure the whisper comes from within Sapphire's mind. They're stray words, fighting their way through the barrier. I fold myself gently around my Sapphire, as if getting closer to her would help me hear the whispers better. Surprisingly it actually did, a bit.

"_Alatuk alatuk Atka, Atka amaluk alatuk._" It echoes in my mind. Where have I heard this before? What is the Atka?

Suddenly Sapphire shivers in my arms, even trying to lash out once from my grip, but I hold onto her.

"No, no, no…" her mind cries. What is she dreaming of? What is she seeing? What I wouldn't give to find out! "…liar…almost DIE?"

She gasps in her sleep, jerking away from me again. I quickly decide she's had enough of this nightmare! "Sapphire, wake up, lovely." I shake her gently. Nothing. A bit harder, I keep trying. "Sapphire! Wake up!"

"No you'll kill me…" she screams in her sleep, her hands shaking. For a moment, I freeze, thinking she's talking to me, but I know she's still trapped in her mind. Right there. That's the line. Even in her dreams, I won't let her die. Focusing as hard as I could, I pushed all my thoughts against her dream. Every feeling, every thought, every emotion, until-

My mind breaks through her barrier and instantly I see a haunting girl reaching towards my Sapphire to touch her. _Nobody_ touches her! I shoved her trembling frame behind me, looking up only to see the strange girl a few inches from my face. She's… she's unlike anything I've ever seen. She's beautiful, but surreal. She's as pale as the moon with long fingers of ice and-

Just like that she was gone and I found myself crouching above Sapphy. She's gasping, shaking. "Wake up! Wake up, Sapphire!" As she blinks awake, I notice for the first time that the bridge of skin between her legs has strengthened more, as it seems to each day. Parts of her legs are bruised to faint blue and purple, and her toes are entirely smoothed into one now. She looks so…different. Beautiful and different. Every day she becomes more and more the Sapphire I saw in my dream.

**Sapphire POV**

Faro is shaking me. My heart is thundering. "Wake up! Wake up, Sapphire!"

I struggle back to consciousness. "Where is she?"

Only Faro is there, wide awake, watching me with concern. "You had a nightmare," he says. "You were screaming."

"No, it wasn't a nightmare, Faro. It was real. It was the Atka."

"The Atka? What is that?"

"I- I'm not sure. A girl, a girl like me. She had my face but no body, at least I don't think she had a body. There was a fog swirling around her, and I think she had a crown."

I expect Faro to laugh at me, but he doesn't. He doesn't seem surprised at all by my description, either. Is it possible that Faro was with me in my mind? Could he enter and alter my dreams? His brows draw together in a frown. "You have been visited by a spirit," says Faro decisively. "I have always been told that the world of ice is haunted by spirits, some bad, some good. Your Atka, I think, was a bad spirit."

"But she said she was here to protect me. I think she was, in a way… but she only wanted me; she didn't care about the rest of you. I wish you'd told me about the spirits, Faro," I add shakily, trying to make a joke of it. "I would have chosen the southern route and the sharks."

"Maybe you were asleep and it was all a dream," says Faro, but I can tell he doesn't really think it was. His expression is clouded. I can't get the face of the Atka out of my mind. Even though I'm still shaking with fear, I want to see her again. I think that Faro is wrong. She wasn't a bad spirit. Just very, very frightening.

You will know me again, when it is time.

"Maybe you've got an Atka too, Faro," I say, but Faro wrinkles his nose in disdain.

"No evil spirit of the ice is going to run my life," he says. "If I see my Atka, Sapphy, I will do- what is that word you told me for not looking at a person?"

"Blanking." **(I had never heard of this til I read the story... I'm assuming it's similar to ignoring)**

"I will blank my Atka," says Faro grandly.

"Good luck with that Faro."

I force the memory of the Atka down into the depths of my mind. I had to focus.

"We had no choice," says Faro, and it takes me a minute to know what he's talking about. Our route, of course.

"I know that, Faro. The sharks would have killed us if we'd gone South."

"We will do it this way, Sapphire. We will not fail," says Faro between his teeth, and I know that he's talking to himself as much as to me. The Atka's words echo in my head. You must stay in your world and fight its battles.

Day is coming again. The rising sun sends a bloody stain through the water, and then cloud covers it and the sea turns grey. The light is wan and heavy, as if winter is almost here. It's a new day, a new challenge in my new life. Faro takes my hand, squeezing lightly. I borrow some of his strength, rising from our position to tackle whatever may face us today. Whatever came at us, we'd face it together.

**Criticism, interjections of emotion, suggestions, ideas, or just saying hi, any review is a welcome review! I send you all sugar cookies mentally for reading ^_^ Love you guys!**

**V Yaaaaay please hit the blue review button here V **


	9. Chapter 9: The Promise

**AN: Hey guys I'm sooooooooooooo sorry I haven't been updating and that this is short, but I swear I'm alive! I haven't had a lot of inspiration for this story and to be honest I'm really not sure where I'm going with it other than the final battle. (which I DO know what I'm doing for). So any inspiration, ideas, or pointers are more than welcome! Love you guys, so sorry about the wait!**

We swim together to the ice where we had left Conor and Elvira. My brother is sitting far away from her, probably sulking. I sigh heavily and Faro slips his hand into mine, squeezing it gently. You're not alone, Sapphire. You will never be alone in Ingo. I promise.

I know that. Somehow, whenever he touches me, I feel strong. Brave. Like I can do anything with a single twist of my new tail. My tail… A glance down shows me delicate skin has completely smoothed over my legs, but just underneath, the skin forms a web of stronger, durable, yet pliable, skin. It's like the cleft that separated my legs is a wound that my Mer blood is naturally healing. Not only that, but my toes have also 'healed' into one thick… I don't even know what. But I know that I have dark blotches of bluish purple spotting my skin, like bruises that only seem to be getting larger. Yes, they're tender, painful even if you press on them, but nothing like my scars.

I have to say, I would have thought swimming with a tail would take a while to get used to; that it would feel so much different than swimming with legs. But it's not really. I don't know how to explain it, but it's as natural as breathing. I drop Faro's hand as we approach our siblings.

"Morning Con. 'Morning Elvira," I greet them. Con still looks upset, but it's more like tired irritation, which I guess is some form of improvement. I wonder if Elvira has talked to him.

"Where have you been?" Conor sighs, looking defeated.

He has no right to be. "With Faro," I answer nonchalantly, brushing his shoulder as I pass. Since when does he care so much anyways? He's never minded me with Faro before. I get that all this is…madness, but-

"You slept with him didn't you?" It's more of a sad question than an accusation. Can't say it doesn't feel like one though.

And anyways, so what if we did? "Yes, Con, we happened to fall asleep next to each other. Is that crime?"

"That's not what I meant," he mutters, knowing it doesn't really apply anymore since I just told him what happened.

"Then what did you mean, Conor? Do I look old enough for that kind of thing to you? So, no, to answer your question, I didn't _sleep_ sleep with him! I don't even know how Mer would do that!"

"Why don't you stick around and mind out?" he says under his breath. I turn to shoot a death glare at him and open my mouth to tell him exactly-

"Would both of you kindly SHUT IT?" Elvira screams. "Good Atka, I know siblings fight, but how does this accomplish anything?"

"It doesn- hey wait did you say Atka, Elvira?"

"Sure," she answers me, brushing her cloud of floating hair behind her. "The Atka is a Northern spirit. It decides when it's time for each Mer to cross worlds. Though I have learned that some are tricky and there have been stories of Mer lead to premature death, following their Atka… I'm sorry; I'm rambling aren't I? It's just something about the North. It's so entirely…enchanting. Magical, maybe."

Faro shakes his head. "Sister, have you ever met your Atka?"

Elvira laughs lightly. "No, of course not! No Mer has ever met their Atka and lived to tell about it. Their presence is felt as a magnetic pull in the water, in the sea living with us. Some say they live in Limina freely and talk the dying Mer into coming with them into a new world."

Faro and I look at each other and he reaches to grip my hand tightly. Elvira notices the tense atmosphere flowing between us like electricity. "Something wrong?"

I can't answer her. No Mer had ever seen it and lived. I saw it! I saw her, I did! Does that mean I'm going to die? The Atka wanted me to see her, so I would know her when it was time. Time for what? Time to die? I cling to Faro, burying my face in his chest. I can't lose him. I just can't. I don't want to live in any world without Faro.

_Hey_, his voice crept into my mind. _You're not entirely Mer. You were able to venture into the Deep where full blooded Mer died. Who's to say that seeing the Atka isn't another advantage of not having pure blood? Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere Sapphire. I'll never leave you. I promise. Where you go I will follow._

_Faro…. Don't promise that. If I die, I don't want you to follow me. I want you to move forward, to keep living. That's what you can do for me. Ingo could never be the same without you in it. You deserve so much better than this. Better than me-_

_Sapphire, stop. You're not a burden. You never have been, and never could be to me, even if you tried. I don't think you understand. I love you. I don't WANT to live without you. I can't even try._

_You just have to, for me. Promise me you will._

_You're not going to die, Sapphy._

_You don't know that._

_I'm not going to let you! I know I let you down once, but I swear-_

_Just promise me, Faro. Please?_

_Fine. I promise IF anything happens to you (which it won't), that I'll TRY to continue living, at least physically because emotionally my heart will always belong with you. But I also promise to defend you with the last drop of my blood. I'm here, Sapphire._ "I promise."


End file.
